Welcome to the annual Modmas holiday event! We have burnt the midnight oil to come up with fantastic contests and prizes while we raise our glass in toast to our 5th year in celebrating you. Gaia wouldn't be the same without our amazing members and we are here to spread the holiday merriment across the site.

Whether you're here for free art from Staff, to participate in one of our many contests for fabulous prizes, or just to hang out with your friends and Gaia family- and maybe be lucky enough to snag a few free gifts from friends, anons, or our very own Modmas NPC- we hope you have fun. Whatever your reason for coming, we hope you stick around and have a good time with all of us. We hope you have a very Merry Modmas and Happy Holidays.

Welcome to the 2013 Modmas Art Giveaway!
Since Modmas' inception, mods and other staff have come together to create art for the users to give back to the community during the holiday season. We all have different art styles and skills sets, so we hope you'll find someone here whose art you just can't live without! Make sure to read the requirements for each artist if you would like to receive art from them.

Name: Goosies MoosiesSamples: BoopBoopBoopAny special requirements for getting art, or is it random?: Must make a formal request in either a profile comment or post with my name quoted, with an idea of what they want (ie: name banner sig, graphic for an art shop) and all relevant info. I'll pick a maximum of 15 people over the course of Modmas to do this for. Finished Graphics and Slots

Name: PandiliciousSamples: XxXxXx
More examples can be found on my deviantartAny special requirements for getting art, or is it random?: Just say in the thread you want art from me. Please don't PM me or comment on my profile for art. My PMs get backed up enough. crying Pick up art here

Name: LillypuffSamples: [ X ] [ X ] [ X ] [ X ]Any special requirements for getting art, or is it random?: Avatar must be holiday or winter themed. Quote me with a tektek itemlist, and I'll pick a few at random. :D

Name: Zaerin GreySamples: One!Two!Three!Four!OMG adding digital art!!!Any special requirements for getting art, or is it random?: Random?! RANDOM!!!!! Pizza banana monkey sauce random..... Fair warning, I'm terrible with digital as I just started using a tablet and MS paint, so images may be hand drawn. Quality will suffer! SO SHALL THE MASSES! Random?

Name: Razumi YazuraSamples: [x] [x] [x] [x - only if I have time to colour stuff]Any special requirements for getting art, or is it random?: I tend to be very busy IRL, so I may not be able to look through pages on my own. So that I can easily search it, put "razumihihello" somewhere in your post. Only in the modmas thread, please. I cannot guarantee a bust for everyone, but this will at least help me know that someone is interested.

Name: FlameinexileSamples: XxAny special requirements for getting art, or is it random?: Holiday clothing only. Post a comment request to be entered in my raffle.

Name: ElindranythSamples: 1 // 2 // 3Any special requirements for getting art, or is it random?: I will randomly be putting users into boxes. Do not ask to be put in a box, it will just happen. If it happens I will quote you and also PM you. I will not be putting anyone in a box who has a background on their avatar, so keep that in mind if you do want one!

Name: ZefiusSamples: One , Two , ThreeAny special requirements for getting art, or is it random?: Random! I'll pick random users from the thread. If your avatar is a furry though, you might have a bigger chance of being drawn by me. emotion_yatta The art will be head-shots only!

Name: Chrystal LienaSamples: ❶❷❸❹❺Any special requirements for getting art, or is it random?: Mostly random. Simpler avatars are more likely to be chosen than cluttered ones. I primarily will be doing head shots with the occasional full body here and there.

Name: pugnacious bananaSamples: 1234Any special requirements for getting art, or is it random?: probably random. i guess i might show up in the thread and ask people to quote me if they want art or something.

Name: badtzmaruSamples: one, twoAny special requirements for getting art, or is it random?: I'll pick one holiday-themed avi on pages ending with 44.

Any special requirements for getting art, or is it random?: Quote me or otherwise let me know what you want drawn to be considered! emotion_yatta Be warned that if you don't give me an image or tektek in your request post and you change your avatar that I might end up drawing whatever avatar you have equipped at the time I start.

Name: YuroppaSamples: [Normal][Chibi][Pixels]
More samples on deviantARTAny special requirements for getting art, or is it random?: Female only. Quote me with a reference/avatar/tektek if you'd like to be considered. Please don't PM me or comment on my profile. heart

Name: KhrateSamples: most recent bustAny special requirements for getting art, or is it random?: Random would be best. Simple > cluttered, female > male. I can do page contests but the quality of the art might suffer a bit hah. In these scenarios, though, quantity should probably come first. wink

Name: Silver NoxSamples: 1 / 2 / 3Any special requirements for getting art, or is it random?: I'll do drawings at random but not for anyone who just 'bumps.' Stick around and chat! Quote me if you want to make sure you are considered.

Name: KoledaSamples: xAny special requirements for getting art, or is it random?: Random, I am terrible lazy.

If you're a Gaian that would love to join us in the spirit of community and giving, we'd love to have your art as well! Just fill out the form below by posting in the thread, and send me a Private Message on my Sunlit Angel Account with the page number that your post is on. I'll find it and add it to the thread here. Make sure to also include something in your PM stating that you want to give away art since I'm also hosting an art contest and don't want to get PMs confused. Remember, this is for giving away free art to other users, not for receiving art. You can also make your own thread in the Art Freebie's Forum. Let me know and I'll link it here!

The Form:

[b]I'm a Gaian that would love to gift spam art to other Gaians![/b]
[b]Name:[/b] Your username. If you want to remain anonymous, you can certainly go ahead and send user's artwork on a mule or by including a link to the artwork when using the anon gift system, you don't HAVE to post here to send users art. This is mainly for users that would like to gift art but want people to follow certain requirements and such. :3
[b]Samples:[/b] Links to your samples
[b]Special Requirements[/b]: List here if there's anything you want users to do such as wear holiday avatars, comment on your profile, write a quirky holiday poem, etc, before they can receive your art!

Gaians that have signed up to give art

I'm a Gaian that would love to gift spam art to other Gaians!Username: Wolves LuverSamples:XXXSpecial Requirements: I'm going to be pretty busy during this month, but I will do my best to draw a few people. It will be totally random. Just tag me or put my name in the post if your interested so I know : )

I'm a Gaian that would love to gift spam art to other Gaians!Name: Alexander_LyreSamples:X - XX - XXX - XXXXSpecial Requirements: Females only. I can do OC or Avatar; as well as i can MLPFiM. Thanks.

I'm a Gaian that would love to gift spam art to other Gaians!Name: NuSithSamples:Chibi sampleChibi HeadComic Book style (inked)Special Requirements: Quote me, be dressed in Holiday garb. I am a bit busy in real but I will take the time to draw a few random people. Probably won't get to all of them, but I will try to get some, or randomly gift strange little items.

I'm a Gaian that would love to gift spam art to other Gaians!Name: InterchangeSamples:1/2 (I upgraded my art style after 3 years)Special Requirements: Not too crowded please! It's really hard to draw your avatar, if you have so much clutter!

I'm a Gaian that would love to gift spam art to other Gaians!Name: ellephantsSamples: × ×Special Requirements: i prefer simple, female avatars that are winter or holiday themed! it will be random, but quote me if you are interested!

I'm a Gaian that would love to gift spam art to other Gaians!Name: PaniJeziora. Samples:12345Special Requirements: send me a PM, and every second user who sends a massage will recive art. (unless there is a small amount of massages, then all of you will)

I'm a Gaian that would love to gift spam art to other Gaians!Name: AmythestLeeSamples:~..~..~Special Requirements: Please PM my mule (MissMacCheesy). In the PM, I wanna know what you want most from Santa this year. I will be doing a total of 10 free Avi Arts before Christmas, depending on how many request. I hand draw and color all of my work. No digital art.

I'm a Gaian that would love to gift spam art to other Gaians!Name: Baked GewdsSamples:[x][x][x]Special Requirements: Just don't quote me more than once, and please include your reference in your quote. I probably won't be able to get to everyone, sorry in advance. I am open to drawing anything, but my preferences go FURRY > OC > FEMALE > MALE > AVI > CLUTTERED AVI. Thanks!

I'm a Gaian that would love to gift spam art to other Gaians!Name: Amy RuseSamples:1234Special Requirements:You can request even the most random things,but please be understanding if it takes a while for me to draw your request.Please PM me if you happen to want to have me draw you something.

I'm a Gaian that would love to gift spam art to other Gaians!Name: MoonlightKoSamples:xXxX (More in my DeviantART)Special Requirements: Random (will choose ones who wears a holiday theme outfit). Chatting with me in this thread will raise the chance of getting you a chibi drawing.

I'm a Gaian that would love to gift spam art to other Gaians!Name: redshnSamples:♥ • ♥ • ♥Special Requirements: I will randomly choose holiday-themed avis! To increase your chances you can either quote me, send a PM or comment on my profile! I will also accept OC's with holiday-themed clothes and I miiiiiight consider couples!

I'm a Gaian that would love to gift spam art to other Gaians!Name: TheSinOfWrath1313Samples:[One][Two][Three][Four]Special Requirements: I would love to see some holiday avis! I love drawing Christmas stuff!
Female> Male Clean>Cluttered

I'm a Gaian that would love to gift spam art to other Gaians!Name: Evelin333Samples:sampsampSpecial Requirements: Quote/PM (PM preferred)
Do not PM more than one thanks. Please provide all relevant details and ref's in first PM. Female humanoids only. Will reply to those i will draw, give me a week and if you don't have a reply then i'm sorry to say i didn't draw you.

I'm a Gaian that would love to gift spam art to other Gaians!Name: Boou. Samples:PewPewPewPewSpecial Requirements: I'll pick at random cause I have a busy life. And I'm lazy when I'm not busy razz
The more simple the better I suppose o:

I'm a Gaian that would love to gift spam art to other Gaians!Name: Orgasmic Condom KittySamples:[x][x][x][x][x][x]Special Requirements: cute things are what I love the most. Just give me a reference. and don't pm me asking about art and or commissions

ANNOUNCEMENT!!!Because Xya is a special snowflake, the private messages to Invalid Option have been set to off this entire time. As such, we are extending the contest for any last-minute entries for 2 (two) days. The entire contest will close on January 2nd @ 11:59 PM PST and prizes will be awarded as planned.

It's that time of the year again, where you're holding your arms in the freezing cold, wearing the most puffiest of coats, and wishing you had a nice warm mug of hot cocoa. Except you're here reading my contest, so lets get right down to what this contest is! This is simply as the title says, a fishing contest; I love to fish on Gaia, so I'm holding a competition of it for this year's Modmas. If you're interested in joining, just go ahead and do so! But first, go read the rules.

Rules

✘ Follow the ToS and Rules and Guidelines.
✘ Everyday from the start to the end of the contest, I will post what the fish of the day is. You must catch this fish and then state the new phrase I announce alongside what fish you need to catch as well as putting the day's date. The phrase of the day will be a quote from my room mate who says funny things and I keep a list of them for reasons. Here is an example:

✘ You must quote me, the first who do so win each day's points. Do NOT PM me. I must be notified by quoting me correctly for it to count. Please copy and paste this at the beginning of your posts to get my attention:

[quote="Shirlox"][/quote]

✘ Posted screenshots must be viewable to all using places such as Photobucket, Tinypic, or Imgur.
✘ Cheating will be considered scamming. This means no taking screenshots of pre-caught fish and then editing the photo so that you post first.
✘ You may only use 1 account for this contest, no mules to fish together. If you are caught using more accounts, you will be disqualified.
✘ Each day, the first 5 people to quote me with a link of their photo will receive points, the person with the most points at the end wins.
✘ Sometime after 12 pm PDT each day is when the fish for the day will be posted.
✘ First person to quote me gets 3 points, second and third receive 2 points, and fourth and fifth will receive 1 point.
✘ Now and then I might post a fish to be caught, but only one person will receive 2 points for catching it first, this is to give others more of a chance to score points.
✘ In the off chance of a tie, there will be a fish off. At a time where both contestants are on and can fish, a tie breaker will decide who will win with a random fish I will say I want you to catch. The same rules will apply that you will have a special phrase and date to say in the chat.
✘ Have fun fishing, enjoy Modmas, and have a happy Holidays.

. . . . Hey there! I am inviting all of you to a number game of sorts. Pick a number on the grid and you will get whatever prize that is under it. It could be gold, items, or even freebie art. However, I would like something in return. No, it's not a gold fee. Nothing of the sort. Instead, I want letters...written letters...

Rules:...✦ Self explanitory, but please follow the ToS and Rules and Guidelines....✦ I am not going to buy items off your wishlists. Please don't ask....✦ Keep in mind that I work 50-70+ hours a week IRL, so please be patient with me. I will primarily be making updates when I am home....✦ I will be revealing and granting what is under the numbers once the entire grid is filled....✦ I will create additional rounds with more prizes....✦ You can only enter once per round. Don't cheat or try to bypass this. Don't make Santa sad....✦ Only three rounds per person....✦ If you happen to have any questions, don't be afraid to ask me....✦ Be creative and have fun!

What do I need to do?:...✦ I'd like to see a written letter to Santa. Please write one for me!...✦ If you are adding a wishlist of sorts to the letter, it cannot be related to Gaia items. This isn't the point of this game. Let's play pretend....✦ I do not want a text entry. It has to be saved as an image. I will link your name with it on the grid list....✦ I would prefer that the letter be handwritten. However, if this is difficult for you, you can type over parchment paper texture....✦ You can doodle art with your letter, but that is completely optional. Reindeer, Santa...anything. Have fun....✦ Please send your letter in a PM to my mule, Nysticus Galetharn. Don't send it to my main. It might get lost....✦ Please make the subject title to your PM "Letter to Santa" for clarity....✦ Once I have approved your letter, pick a number by commenting in Nysticus' profile. Link the letter somewhere in your profile comment....✦ Pay close attention to the numbers that others have chosen to avoid overlapping....✦ If you pick a number before your letter has been approved, it will be deleted. Please avoid disqualification. I will be lenient if a user genuinely made a mistake, but please be careful.

The Extra Treat:...✦ For users that I feel have given the extra effort and/or creativity to their letters, I will invite them to pick a number for the second grid....✦ I will be doing this at random once their are a decent amount of participants....✦ I will also RNG to pick people, but only if there are at least 36 participants....✦ Some of Grid 1's numbers directly grant the access to pick a number for Grid 2....✦ The prizes on this grid will be of higher value than the first grid.

Care for a little something different this holiday season? Then you've come to the 'write' place. (Haha. 'Write' place. Get it?) This contest is a little different from your average writing contest. You see, this one takes on that "creepypasta" vibe to it. Yup. You got it. It's a spooky writing contest. Instead of just scary, we're aiming for a holiday theme to these scary stories to tie in with the season.

Are you up for the challenge?

ContestRules
☠ It goes without saying, but please follow the Terms of Service and Rules & Guidelines. This includes not submitting anything that depicts excessive violence or gore.
☠ As this is a holiday themed contest, please have some aspect of the season (snow, gift giving, family gatherings, friends on a holiday skiing trip, etc). Don't forget though, the main thing we're after is something overall spooky!
☠ The story does not have to be Gaia-themed, but it can be.
☠ The story must be your own. Please do not submit anything that you have not written or created yourself. Plagiarism is bad, mkay?

HowtoEnter
☃ Entries are to be posted here. The thread linked there will serve as the holding area for the contest in order to keep things neater and all in one place. Stories posted anywhere else will not be judged.
☃ PM the entry form to Aleksei or Darien S..
☃ Please title your PM with "Modmas Story Contest."

TechnicalInformation
☞ A word count is in play for this contest. The minimum word count is 100 words and the maximum is 5,000. Please do not go over this. If you need help in finding out how many words your story is, feel free to use this site that I totally didn't just randomly pick when Google searching (as we'll be using it to verify the word count of the entries): http://www.wordcounter.net/
☞ Judging will be done by the tag-team duo of Aleksei and Darien S.
☞ Deadline for entry is 23 December 2013, 11:59 PM PST.
☞ You can enter multiple entries, as long as you're only submitting entries for different categories.
☞ All prizes will be awarded by 7 January 2014, 11:59 PM PST, and winners will be announced here.

Heya! I'm Zefius and this year I decided to make an art contest for some avatars I have! Some are Xmas themed and some are other themes so, you can pick whichever you want to draw and submit your drawing to participate in my contest! yum_puddi
This is my first time participating and I'm very excited to see the outcome! Merry Modmas/Xmas everyone! 4laugh

Mini Announcement:

Contest Ended, winners picked!

Rules:

Follow the T.o.S.

You can choose any avatar that you want from the options below.

You can have multiple entries.

Entries must be your own work. original work. Any commercial images, tektek, or anything of the sort will not be allowed.

You have artistic freedom, do as you wish as long as it follows the ToS. 3nodding

All skill levels are welcome.

You can have multiple avatars in the same submission.

If you want to ask any questions or get my attention, please quote me with this:

[quote="Zefius"][/quote]

Don't quote this post! Please!

All entries should be sent to me via private message. Please label the PM "My Avatar Art Entry!".

Entries will be added to a list below.

When I receive your entry and when I have added it to the list, I will reply back with a confirmation of such action. whee

Welcome to fabby and Khrate's Holiday Haiku-off!
This is a Modmas poetry contest for our dearest Gaian writers hosted by fabuleuse and Khrate.
If you have any questions, please quote fabuleuse or I in this (the main Modmas) thread to grab our attention.

Abide by Gaia's Terms of Service.
Each user may submit up to 3 haikus per category.
Make sure to follow the 5-7-5 haiku syllable pattern for all submissions.
Please include which category you're entering or use the form below when submitting haikus. If you don't, we will assign a category for your haiku.
Have fun and use your imagination, but remember to submit only your own work.
This contest ends on December 31st, 2013 at 11:59 PM PST.

These are the categories of this contest and a description of what we're looking for in each category. Keep the subjects of your haikus related to the topics below.

holiday haikus, including those about gifting and other traditions associated with Christmas, Hannukah, Kwanzaa, or another seasonal holidayhaikus associated with the winter season-- e.g. frolicking in the snow, sledding/skiing, weather, no schoolall haikus that aim to be a little wacky or outlandish with the holiday or seasonal themes, usually for comedic effect

Post all your haiku submissions in this thread.
If you would like, you may utilize this form so that we know you're writing for this contest.

For each category, we will award the first, second, and third place authors with the following prizes:1st place - 500,000 gold2nd place - 250,000 gold3rd place - 100,000 gold
We will also select some honorable mentions who will receive additional prizes.

The winners will be determined by January 15th, 2014.
fabuleuse and I will be the judges of this contest.

Hello! This is my first time hosting an art contest on Gaia.
I hope that everything is fairly straightforward, but if you have any questions, please feel free to PM me.
Alternatively, you can also quote me in this (the main Modmas) thread with any inquiries.

I have no preference between these avatars, but please utilize at least one of them.
You may include Lucky the Cat in any of the references (not just the fourth avatar).

Please abide by Gaia's Terms of Service.
You may submit as many entries as you would like.
By entering this contest, you give me the right to use your submission on Gaia Online.
Submit only your own original work. Do not use/modify the art of others for this contest (doll bases are not allowed).
Do not send entries to my private message mailbox or my comments. All entries should be submitted in this thread.

I thought that this deserved first place not just because you're my friend, Lucas, but because the precision of the lines, the colors, even the border is exceptional. I really like the perspective you drew my character in and the fact that you included your own avatar, something I didn't see in any of the other entries but certainly wasn't forbidden in this contest. 3nodding

2nd place - 2,500,000 gold - swimming_bishies

I can tell that you put quite some thought into this submission! Besides the fact that it's full body and painted, I liked that you included details like a gleam for the eyes, Lucky hanging off of the tail, and two contrasting colors for the shadows. I think the pose reflects confidence and maybe even cockiness haha, which I quite like! xd

3rd place - 1,000,000 gold - TheMainCharacter1

Of all the entries to my contest, I thought this one had the most dynamic pose and most intriguing perspective. It's awesome that you managed to include all the aspects of the avatar without using a conventional pose (which would certainly make the art easier to draw, but there's no fun in that)! I'm very, very pleased with how this turned out and I hope that you are too. wink

Honorable mention - - Czhe

Hey again Czhe! First off, I should thank you for taking the time to enter my contest at all after I commissioned you just a couple weeks earlier. I really liked the way your entry came out, especially because I think your Lucky is my absolute favorite of all the submissions. There's such poise instilled within this piece and I really like the slightly freehand/messy way you colored the various items. Of all the entries, I think this is definitely the most elegant looking. lol

Honorable mention - - sasayaKura

I thought that this entry was really well done. The light source was consistent and the way you drew my avatar's expression makes me look really amiable, haha. It's cool that Lucky is chilling on my shoulder; I wish Gaia had that option for the item itself. I think this entry, if it were a photograph, looks the most candid/unposed/natural. rofl

Honorable mention - - Gunmi

I had a hard time choosing between this entry and your other (full body, monochrome) entry because they both deserve honorable mentions. In the end, I thought this chibi was very well done because of both the coloring and the pose. I've never had art with Lucky drawn under the cap, so I really liked that little aspect. The expression is spot on with my avatar, which is great! mrgreen

Honorable mention - 100,000 gold - regiand

Even though this entry is just a headshot, I really liked the way you drew the scarf and the single visible eye. It's interesting that you included freckles, because I've never seen someone do that in art for me before-- but it turned out quite well! I think the speedpaint/slightly careless coloring style you have is admirable because it lends a pleasant feeling of whimsy to your art. smile

Honorable mention - 100,000 gold - P4ttycak3

Hi again! I thought that your piece was definitely the most unique of all the submissions because, like you said, you started with a modeling program and worked from there. I can only imagine how much time it took for you to create/draw this and I really appreciate that. I especially enjoyed the way you thought of a scenario surrounding the art and how you included Lucky into the story. cool

Honorable mention - 100,000 gold - Imported Cookie

Of the handful of chibi entries submitted, I thought that yours was definitely the most "cute" haha. I like that you drew a fussy/disobedient Lucky because I feel as if cats in real life are just as stubborn. From the shading to the little motion markers to the edges of the uniform's vest, I thought that overall, your chibi was very thorough. whee

This contest is officially over. Thank you all for your submissions, it was very VERY difficult to choose "winners" among them because they were all great. I hope everyone has a great 2014!

1. Find a friend.
2. Enter Towns 1 or Towns 2 together.
3. Screenshot yourselves carolling in the Town (and if you'd like, gifs are accepted also!).
4. Submit the image through a PM to Watervoir with the title "Carolling out in the Snow". Please resize the image so it's not too big if necessary. Please use the following form:

[b]Usernames of Participants:[/b]
[b]Image:[/b]

Watervoir will confirm if your entry has been received.

5. You may only enter a maximum of three times.
6. The deadline to submit entries is December 31 11:59 pm Gaia HQ time (PST).
7. Prizes will be awarded for the three most creative/funniest (but not tasteless!) entries, and as well, three entries will be randomly chosen as raffle winners. Raffle and contest winners will be chosen by December 31 January 6. Mark your calendars!

References:List A -- Rules:

Abide by Gaia's ToS.

Each individual may only participate in up to three entries.

If you use more than one account per person (e.g. using both you and a mule), you will be disqualified.

For any questions or if you want to get her attention, please quote Watervoir with this:

Hello everyone! For Modmas this year, let your talent shine and you could walk away with 1 MILLION GOLD! Do you sing? Can you dance? Can you do a great impression of Sean Connery? Do you play the balalaika? Perhaps you can tell a great joke? Or maybe, you can rub your tummy and pat your head at the same time?
Whatever talent you posses, we want to see it! Read on if you want to join the fun!

Rules:

Follow the forum rules and the ToS!

When submitting, you MUST use the form. I will not see your post if you do not.

No spamming, flaming, excessive swearing, causing drama or anything like that. This is a fun show! Let's all be awesome, ok?

No trolling, or negativity. This is a positive atmosphere! Lets keep the upbeat friendly holiday spirit in this!

No submitting a video or audio clip from another person and claiming it as your own. Come on, you've got loads of talent, lets see what you can do!

All entries must be started by the user introducing themselves. If no introduction is made, the entry will not count for any prizes. This is to prevent people posting other people's videos!

Prizes:
Winners will be chosen by random draw. I want everyone to have an equal chance of winning! This isn't a popularity contest, this is a chance to show your awesomeness!
I will draw 3 names, each name will win gold!

How to Enter:
So are you going to enter the show? Great! All you have to do is video yourself performing your talent, or record your voice. At the beginning of your entry, please say something like "This is <your username> and this is my talent" so we can identify who is submitting! If you do not include a short introduction in your entry, it will not be accepted for prize purposes.

Hello, and welcome to my Modmas 2013 post!
This is my second year participating in Modmas so I hope it goes just as well,
if not better, than last year! Please continue reading to see what I've got planned. 3nodding

Avatar Art Contest

Rules:
- You may enter as many art pieces as you want, but a single artist cannot win more than one prize.
- Art must be sent to me via PMs and there must be some indication that it is for my contest!
- Art must be of acceptable quality.xxxxNO 5 second MS Paint stick figures/scribblesxxxxNO poor webcam picturesxxxxTraditional art IS allowed, but the art must be clearly visiblexxxxxxExamples:xxxxxxx[YES!] | [YES!] | [YES!] | [NO!] | [NO!]
- All rules listed here are to be followed.
- Contest ends December 31st 11:59 PM EST
- To allow time for possible last minute or delayed entries, judging will take place by January 6, 2014 at 11:59 PM.

PRIZES:xxxx1st Place: 2,500,000 Gaia Gold!xxxx2nd Place: 1,250,000 Gaia Gold!xxxx3rd Place: 800,000 Gaia Gold!xxxxComplimentary: Each artist that enters who does not place will each get 100,000 gold.

Avatar:

☞ Ears: White with pink fluff inside (Roseus Diamond Dog ears, just without the turquoise "+" on them)
I prefer that the ears stick out from under the hat, where a human's ears are.
☞ Boobs: Please, no large breasts. Keep 'em on the smaller side.
☞ Wings: Fairy wings (please don't leave them out!) * 7 *
☞ Top: Pasties that look like Gaia's famous wing stickers
☞ Skirt: ruffled mini skirt
☞ Panties: If you decide to show a little panty, make them white with alternating horizontal pink and light blue stripes.
☞ Skin: average peach skin with some blush
☞ Messenger bag: Not too picky, you can use either the Gaia logo or just a wing sticker if you wish.
☞ Cuffs/Bracelets: Make them blue with the "G" pin pink, not gold like the avatar depicts
☞ MISC: Don't skimp on sparkles, I love them! If you're confident with drawing animals, please include Ultra Satan and/or North Kitten Star. I'd also be happy if you drew my avatar with a blue Diedrich!

References can be viewed in the avatar art panel on my profile! emotion_bigheart

This contest is very simple and anyone can win! I'll be randomly posting this image of Diedrich in this thread and whoever is the first to quote my post containing the image will win a surprise! Keep your eyes peeled for Diedrich! To help prevent confusions regarding who quotes first (as there is a little glitch that derps up post orders if they're submitted at the same time), I'll wait 10 minutes before sending the prize to the winner.

Welcome, one and all, to the festive days of Modmas, a celebration of goodwill to all Gaians! As we all know, holidays aren't truly holidays unless you can hear them over the radio waves far in advance. In that spirit, this contest sets out to find 100% original revisions of the "classic" carols which permeate your car rides and grocery stores this time of year.

All Carols must:

Have a Gaian focus; this includes NPCs, Admins, and Staff (Artists, Devs, Mods, FAs), in addition to zOMG creatures.

List the classic reference you have used so we have a tune to follow.

Have clear and legible lyrics / audibility- we can't sing along if we can't read!

Be submitted by PM ONLY to Flameinexile with the title Modmas Carol Contest - any other title and it may get lost or misplaced.

Users may enter both contests (using the same or different modmas carols).

Each user may submit a maximum of 2 carols per category, but no user will win 2 places in one contest.

Categories

Written lyrics

Submission of Modmas carol lyrics via PM.

Singer-songwriter

Submission of both lyrics and a video clip of you the user singing your very own modmas carol.

You may ask friends to sing with you, and you may use whatever effects you like for your video but at some point during the video, your username MUST be visible for this on a piece of paper or something similar. Digital alterations to include it afterwards will not be accepted.

Prizes for Written Entries:
1.
2.
3. OR OR

Prizes for Singer-Songwriter:
1.
2.
3. OR OR

Honourable mentions will receive Music Mood Bubble.

Submissions MUST be in by 11.45PM CET December 23rd.
Judging will subsequently follow, with prizes awarded no later than December 28th.

Welcome to Modmas 2013! This is a contest dedicated to the sweets of the holidays and those who love to make them. So if you're planning on making a delicious treat, wanting to share a special recipe or feel like showing us your decorating skills this is the contest for you.

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How To Enter:

Bake some sort of treat. (Pie, cake, cupcake, fudge, the sky is the limit!)

Take a picture of said treat - make sure to have a paper in the picture with your username on it

Submit the picture along with the recipe you followed and PM it to Never Crazy with the title "Modmas Baking Contest Entry".

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Rules:

Any user may submit a maximum of two entries.

You may only win in one category.

Only your own work! Entries must have been made by you/with your help. So if you baked something with your friends for example, that is fine, but your hands must have helped to create it!

Entries must include a picture taken by you of the finished project, your username somewhere in the picture (on a piece of paper, written in frosting, etc) and the recipe to be counted.

Any sort of baked treat is allowed - even if you make something savory like a bread pudding, as long as it is baked with a sort of "treat" quality to it, I will accept. (If you have a question about an entry feel free to drop me a line to ask!)

All entries must be PMed to Never Crazy with the title mentioned in the above section.

Contest ends December 31st 2013 at 11:59PM PST

HAVE FUN and try not to make us all too hungry, ok? o vo

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Prizes and Categories:

There are several categories that will be awarded, some will be named below and others are a complete mystery and will appear when the winners are announced.

In order to share the love of treats all entries will be posted here under spoiler tags so others can see your work! At the end of the contest I will compile all of the entries into a .pdf dessert cook book that anyone will be able to download.

Ninnh

Nutella Fudge with candy cane crumbs!
Simple to make, delicious for the holidays, and a wonderful dish to make with a special someone to bond with. If you ever wanted to give a treat as a gift to someone for christmas, this would be just perfect for that occasion.

Now for the delicious recipe.
1 can sweetened condensed milk,
1 tsp vanilla extract,
8 oz regular chocolate chips
1 cup Nutella, (not frozen nutella, room temp)
3 Tbs of butter
A very VERY little scoop of cinnamon
And then, crush some candy canes to sprinkle on top of the fudge when it's all done.

Now, take all the ingredients and put them into a bowl. sprinkle some water in it, and keep stirring til the chocolate chips have melted in with the mix. Mix for about 8 minutes, so that the mixture turns nice and thick. Make sure that there are no clumps!!

Now, put the fudge in which ever pan you prefer. I use an old pan because it belonged to my grandmother. (it's not great but I love it because she gave it to me) So when I put the parchment paper on it, it doesn't look so good because of the edges (which happened to my fudge in the picture). Anyway! Once you put the fudge in ur pan, sprinkle the candy canes on top, and refrigerate until the fudge is firm, at least two hours.

Lightly oil a muffin tin and preheat the oven to 190°C. This recipe makes 12 muffins.
Put the first four ingredients into a bowl and mix well, then add the remaining ingredients and blend until just mixed. Two-thirds fill the muffin tins and bake for 15-20 mins.

How to do: In a blender put the strawberries, cottage cheese, honey. Make a puree. Soak gelatin in cold water, as swells, put on a small fire, and stir to dissolve. Do not boil! Put into a puree. Mix it. Pour the puree into a “form” (I take a plate for soup) and place in refrigerator for 50 minutes. After place on a plate to bring to guests. Can be decorated in any way.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees . In a bowl, stir together flour and baking powder. In another bowl, beat butter with sugar until fluffy and light. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in flour mixture. Cut out shapes using cookie cutters. Place on cookie sheets. Bake about 15 minute. Add sprinkles when cookies are cooled down.
Enjoy smilies/icon_heart.gif

Crystalemum2

I made sugar cookies, and white cake cupcakes with my daughter <3

The cupcakes are simply a Betty Crocker box of cake mix.

The cookies are Betty Crocker sugar cookies as well. Easiest thing ever! Ive tried many different recipes to make them by scratch. But I just cant get one I like. So here the easy solution! All I did was add in a cap full of vanilla extract cause I love vanilla.

Mix the flour and salt together in a large bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer that is fitted with a dough hook. Gradually stir in water until the dough holds together enough to clean the sides of the bowl. You may not need the full amount of water. Shape into a flat ball, and allow to rest for at least 10 minutes.

Place the butter between two pieces of plastic wrap and pound into a flat disc using a rolling pin or other heavy object. Refrigerate until firm, about 20 minutes.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a large rectangle about 1/2 inch thick. Place the disc of chilled butter in the center and fold the two ends over it so that it is completely encased in dough. Roll out the dough again, taking care not to let the butter break through the dough, to about 1/2 inch thickness. Fold into thirds. This is the first ''turn''. Rotate the dough 90 degrees and roll out into a rectangle again. Fold into thirds. By this time the butter is starting to warm up. Place the dough on a baking sheet and mark it with two pokes from your finger (two turns). Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Repeat this rolling, folding and turning two more times, then refrigerate until firm. Repeat two more times for a total of 6 ''turns''. Wrap and refrigerate. The dough is now ready to roll out and use in any recipe calling for puff pastry. Roll the dough out as thin as 1/4 inch to make pastries. Bake in a preheated oven of at least 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) to get the maximum puff from your pastry.)

The dough cut large heart, about 8 - 10 cm in diameter, cookie cutter. Translate into plaque lined with baking paper or mat Teflon. At the center of each heart impose a full teaspoon of Nutella and a few slices of strawberry.

Bake at 220 º C for 15 - 17 minutes until golden brown. Cool, sprinkle with icing and sprinkle with pistachios and serve.

In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder. Set aside.

In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (about 3 to 4 minutes). Add the eggs and vanilla extract and beat until combined. Add the flour mixture and beat until you have a smooth dough.

Divide the dough in half and wrap each half in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for about one hour or until firm enough to roll.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Remove one half of the chilled dough from the refrigerator and, on a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a thickness of 1/4 inch (1 cm). (Keep turning the dough as you roll, making sure the dough does not stick to the counter.) Cut out cookies using a lightly floured tree cookie cutter and transfer cookies to the prepared baking sheet. Place the baking sheets with the unbaked cookies in the refrigerator for 10 to 15 minutes to chill the dough which prevents the cookies from spreading and losing their shape while baking.

Bake cookies for about 10 minutes (depending on size) or until they begin to brown around the edges.

In a large bowl, cream together the confectioners' sugar and shortening until smooth. Gradually mix in the milk and vanilla with an electric mixer until smooth and stiff, about 5 minutes. Color with food coloring if desired.

1. Preheat the oven to 425˚ F. Line two large, heavy rimmed baking sheets with heavy-duty foil. Coarsely shred the potatoes and onions together in a food processor (or grate by hand with a box grater). Transfer the mixture to a clean dishtowel and squeeze and wring out as much of the liquid as possible.

2. Working quickly, combine the potatoes and onions with the flour, eggs, salt, baking powder and pepper, tossing with a fork until well combined.

3. Pour ½ cup oil onto each baking sheet, spreading it with a spatula. With a fork, scoop 12 small latkes onto each baking sheet, pressing to flatten into disks.

4. Bake the latkes until crisp on the bottom and sizzling, about 12 minutes. Flip the latkes, rotating the pans from back to front and top to bottom, and bake until crisp on the second side, about 8 more minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack lined with paper towels or paper bags, drain briefly, and serve.

AzulExorcist

Soft Lemon-Sugar cookies (w/ sprinkles)

I received this recipe from my late grandmother on my mothers side. She was a very sweet and caring person and I acquired a lot of my baking knowledge from her books.Ingredients
3 Cups of all-purpose flour
1 Stick of butter (or a cup of margarine), Melted
1 cup of (granulated) sugar
2 large eggs, (Whipped)
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
2 table spoons of Lemon juice
A large pan or cookie sheet
A Large cooling rack
1 cup of hugs, kisses and love

Paste: 1 cup Confectioners sugar
3 Tablespoons of Evaporated milk

Optional
Sprinkles, Lemon Zest and Lemon candies to top them with.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.The Mix
Beat the eggs and Vanilla together and slowly pour in the melted butter, (If your butter isn't pre-melted you can simply microwave it until it is melted.) in a large mixing bowl. Pour the Lemon Juice and sugar into the mix slowly. Dump the 3 cups of Flour into the liquid mix. If you wanted to cut the cookies into shape, now would be the time.

BakingBecause of the amount of butter in these cookies you shouldn't have to grease the pan. Place the cookies 2 inches apart unless they are smaller than your average cookie(2-4 inch. Round) you can make the space as low as 1 inch apart. Now is when we put the love in. Try singing your favorite carol for your cookie. If your voice is a little hoarse, heat up a glass of water and mix in 1 teaspoons of lemon juice and 2 table spoons of sugar and drink. Bake for 8 - 10 minutes, again, depending of the size of your cookies it may take 6 - 8 min or 10 - 12min. Now hug and kiss your oven for that blessed effect. If oven is too hot to hug and/or kiss, it's ok. It's not mandatory. When they come out place them on the cooling rack and let them cool for 5-10 min. For fast cooling, stick them in the freezer for 3-5 minutes.

Edible Paste(For Toppings)
Mix together the confectioners sugar and Evaporated milk in a small mixing bowl. Using a whisk is recommended.

Decorating(Optional)
Usually I make a paste to help the toppings stick. (Recipe Above) If you are using the paste, it only takes a teaspoon per cookie, sometimes less. Add sprinkles and/or candies to the top decoratively.

- 7 large bars of Godiva chocolate (to be melted)
- Old fashion peanut butter (must be stirred to make an even consistency)
- Powdered sugar ½ cup (mix with peanut butter to make into a paste)
- Red and Green icing
- Sprinkles

Melt the chocolate and pour a spoonful of it into a cupcake pan (be sure to put in cupcake liners first). Push the chocolate to the edges of the liner so it forms a mold of sorts (give it time to cool in the fridge for ten minutes or so). Then add the peanut butter/powder sugar into the space in the middle of the chocolate mold. Then add melted chocolate on top until it completely covers the peanut butter and reaches the edges of the cupcake liner. Let it cool in the fridge and then decorate it however you wish!

Mix together the vegetable oil, water, eggs, and cake mixes. You will want to make to circle cakes that will eventually be stacked. Put it in the oven at 350 degrees for about thirties minutes. Once done, let them cool. Cut the rounded top off of one and then ice the new flat surface. Then, take the other cake and place it on top. Ice the entire cake and then add on the peeps, candy canes, and peppermints. Place the gumdrops around the base of the cake. Melt the white chocolate and while it is still warm, drip it onto the baking parchment in the shape of a tree. Add green sprinkles and place it in the freezer to cool for 15 minutes. Melt the milk chocolate and use a paintbrush to make the letters on the baking parchment (make sure they are thick). Place in a freezer for 15 minutes. Retrieve the different chocolates, place them on the cake, and then enjoy!

First of all I would like to thank everyone who entered! I never expected such a large turnout for my first Modmas contest and I was very surprised and honored that so many of you submitted entries. That said it took a bit longer to judge than I originally thought, they were all amazing and I enjoyed reading all of them. But without further ado here are the winners!

Lori Annalynn

1st Place Overall Winner
with your French Toast Rollup Entry and have wonZodiacal 2nd Gen

Ensia

2nd Place Overall Winner
with your Winter Pumpkin Roll Entry and have won3,000,000